Stratasys Releases First Multi-Color, Multi-Material 3D Printer

At a California event this weekend, Stratasys revealed its newest and greatest 3D printer.

Advancements in 3D printing have made it possible to print everything from an aerodynamic smart car to a full-blown house. But Stratasys, the largest producer of 3D printers, has announced a more practical first for the industry: a 3D printer that can print in multiple colors and materials in a single build.

Jonathan L. Cobb, executive vice president of marketing, revealed the Stratasys Objet500 Connex3 during a press event on Sunday at SolidWorks 2014.

"Four or five years ago, Objet introduced the Connex2 and it really revolutionized the industry," he said, "and we're taking it one step further by printing in multiple materials and in color."

Color itself isn't new to 3D printing. 3D Systems has a full-color printer. MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys since June 2013, prints in colored filaments. And full color sandstone 3D printing has been available through Shapeways. What makes the Objet500 unique is that it combines color printing with its ability to print in multiple materials.

Representatives from special effects company Legacy Effects and bicycle manufacturer Trek took the stage on Sunday to show off the printer's abilities. Patrick Zeigle from Trek's prototyping team said the Ojbet500 Connex3 has helped the company streamline its design and prototyping process. And by 3D printing in multiple colors, he said, Trek has been able to better convey an engineer's vision. So far, the company has printed rubber and plastic handlebars, seats showing color pressure points, helmets, and more.

Legacy Effect's Jason Lopes showed off multi-color figurines the company has printed with the goal of convincing movie executives to move forward on projects. "If something does not have the detail, as well as color, it's a lost cause in my industry," Lopes said. In one project, he used Ojbet500 Connex3 to create a model of a futuristic-looking character to get approval for making a 22-foot version for a movie. "I ask, 'Could I reproduce what I have on screen?' And I think we pretty much pulled it off."

Previous generations of Connex printers have been able to print in Stratasys' many PolyJet materials such as transparent plastics and rubber. But they were often limited to black, white, and shades of grey produced between combining the two. The new Object500 not only offers more material colors, but also has a third jet. With three jets as opposed to two, the Ojbet500 Connex3 can combine three materials to create more than 500 combinations.

"It's revolutionary because of the design process," Cobb told PopMech. "Putting the color on top of it is really a communication tool like no other. You can always paint something… but having the color as part of the design saves so much time. What prototyping and 3D printing has always been about is trying to save time and therefore money."

The company's PolyJet Rigid and Opaque plastics come in the most available colors, including cyan, magenta, yellow, white, gray, blue, and black. By mixing those with PolyJet Transparent Plastic, Stratasys can create the first 3D-printed colored transparent material. Color can be added to any of the PolyJet materials, including rubber, polypropelene, high-temperature plastics, and Digital ABS—ABS-engineered plastics that combine strength with high-temperature resistance. And in a few months, the company says, the Connex3 will be able to print flexible color material.

Stratasys printers reside firmly in the enterprise space, mainly used by companies for rapid prototyping. It's available immediately, and costs $330,000. Though that price might appear hefty compared to desktop 3D printers, it's comparable to Stratasys' earlier Connex printers and those offered by competitors like 3D Systems.

"Lots of companies are showing 3D printers with all kinds of crazy things, printing candy, all this kind of stuff," Bruce Bradshwa, Stratasys director of marketing, said in regards to products shown off at CES this January. "But the folks in the professional end of the market were making comments like, '[Stratasys] is the only company that we can see at this show that's actually talking about what we're trying to get done on the manufacturing and production side.' The other side is—I don't want to call it gimmicky—but gimmicky."

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